Branding-machine for bottle-closures.



PATENTED APR. 24, 1906.

0. H. JUNG.

BRANDING MACHINE FOR BOTTLE OLOSURES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.24,1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Wwwwam news, WASNzNGYOM. n c.

PATENTED APR. 24, 1906 0. H. JUNG. BRANDING MACHINE FOR BOTTLE CLOSURES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 24,1906

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED ST ATES PATENT OFFICE.

BRANDlNG-MACHINE FOR BOTTLE-CLOSURES- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 24, 1906.

Application filed January 24, 1906. Serial No. 297.684.

To a whom it 771/6711] con/corn.-

Be it known that I, OSCAR H. JUNG, residing in Milwaukee, in the countyof Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Branding-Machines for Bottle-Closures, of which thefollowing is a description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, which are a part of this specification.

This invention relates to branding-machines for bottle-closures, and hasfor its obj ect to provide a branding mechanism which will automaticallyoperate in conjunction with a bottle-sealing machine to brand thebottleclosures as they pass from the hopper to the sealing-head.

The invention comprises an electricallyheated branding-tool which isoperated by the movements of the bottle-sealing machine tointermittently pass through an opening of the chute for thebottle-closures and come into contact with the cork layer of thesuccessive bottle-closures to burn thereon any suitable designation,such as the month and year in which the bottling is done.

With the above and other objects in view the invention further consistsin the device herein described, its parts and combinations of parts, theassociated mechanism, and all equivalents.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like characters ofreference indicate the same parts in the several views, Figure 1 is aside elevation of a branding mechanism constructed in accordance withthis invention and applied to a bottle-sealing machine whose associatedparts are shown in section. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof,on an enlarged scale, also showing the chute of the bottle-sealingmachine and its contained bottle closures or crowns and illustrating themanner in which the column of bottle-closures is held back by thethroat-ring during the movements of the latter to determine the positionof one of the bottle-closures at the time it receives the branding-tool.Fig. 3 is sectional plan view of the throat-ring with the lower end ofthe chute feeding bottle-closures to the throats thereof. Fig. 4 is aplan view of the branding mechanism and its associated parts in the actof branding one of the bottle-closures, the chute and the saidbottle-closure being sectioned. Fig. 5 is a detail view of thel'ieating-coil for the branding-tool. Fig. 6 is a face view of thebranding-tool; and Fig. 7 is a face view of a bottle-closure, showingthe brand thereon. i

In the drawings the branding device is illustrated as connected with andforming a part of a bottlc-sealing machine of an ordinary construction,such as is shown and described in Letters Patent to YVilliam Painter,Nos. 638,354 and 643,973. So much of the construction of thebottle-sealing machine as affects or relates to the branding mechanismis here shown and described briefly, relying upon the specifications ofsaid Letters Patent for a more detailed explanation.

The bottle-sealing machine here shown is adapted to receive a quantityof bottle closures or crowns and by means of a suitable selectingmechanism feed them one by one and with their cavities in the samedirection to a chute, through which they pass into throats ofsealing-heads upon a ring which is rotatable with intermittent motions.The filled bottles are adapted to be placed upon movable parts of themachine beneath the sealingheads and at the proper time are movedupwardly thereby into the sealing-heads to have the closures or crownsfastened thereto.

The parts of the machine here illustrated comprise the stationaryupright column 10, with a rotated column or sleeve 11 mounted thereonand carrying the sealing-heads 12, as well as a beveled gear 13. Abracket-frame 14 is keyed to the upper end of column 10, so as to remainstationary, and forms a support for a pinion 15, carrying a beveledpinion 16, which meshes with the beveled gear 13 before mentioned. Thisbracket-frame also forms a bearing for a horizontal shaft 16, whichcarries a yieldinglyconnected pinion 17 on one end, meshing with thepinion 15, and a bowlshaped front plate 1.8 on its other end. A hopper19 for containing bottle closures known as crowns is supported by thebracket-frame 15 and has an inclined bottom 20 to lead the contents to acage formed by the front plate 18 and a selecting-ring 21, carriedthereby. The selecting-ring has radial agitating-ribs 22 for lifting thecrowns out of the bottom of the hopper, so that they may pass throughsuitable openings provided therefor between the selecting-ring and thefront plate, and these openings are so arranged as to prevent the crownspassing therethrough except when arranged with their cavities outwardly.

The hopper has a spoutor projection 23 leading from the cage at itslowermost portion, and a curved chute 24 carries the arranged crownstherefrom to the sealing-heads 12 below. The sealing-heads 12 areconnected by a throat-ring 25, which rotates therewith and is recessedor grooved at its outer edge to fit a complementary part of asurrounding stationary retaining-ring 26; The retainingring is rigidlysupported in any suitable manner and has secured to it the lower end ofthe chute 24. The throat-ring 25 has walled recesses or throats 27arranged therein at intervals, one for each sealing-head 12, to besuccessively brought into communication with the lower end of the chuteand receive the crowns 28 therefrom. The sealing-heads carry the crownsto the opposite side of the machine, where the bottles are forcedupwardly by suitable means to have the crowns clamped thereon by saidsealing-heads, and the column of crowns in the chute is held in checkduring the movements of the throatring by means of the stop formed bythe bottom of the groove of said throat-ring, as clearly shown in Fig.2. Thus the column of crowns is held still during the intermittentmovements of the throat-ring and affords the opportunity for brandingthem during their periods of rest.

The branding mechanism is applied to the chute 24, with itsbranding-tool adapted to pass into the interior thereof and intoengagement with the cork lining of one of the crowns during the movementof the throat ring. This is accomplished by means of a spring-pressedprojection connected with said branding-tool and standing in the path ofmovement of the sealing-heads, so as to be engaged thereby, but whichwhen released by the passing of the sealing-heads is forced forwardly byits spring to carry the brandingtool into operation.

A bracket 29, having a cylindrical bearing portion, is secured to thedownwardly-extending spout or outlet 23 of the hopper 19, and in thecylindrical bearing portion is slidablv mounted a plunger carrying abrandingtool and'comprising a cylindrical outer shell 30, with a longercylindrical inner shell 31 of considerably smaller diameter, having apacking 32, of heat-insulating material, suchas sheet-asbestos, wrappedaround the inner shell. A metal sleeve 33 has an enlarged head or flangefitting in one end of the inner shell 31, and its reduced portion issurrounded by aheating-coil 34, of resistance-wire, which is properlyinsulated from said sleeve and the inner shell 31. The terminals of coil34 are connected to binding-posts 35, mounted on but insulated from theother end of said inner shell 31. To these binding-posts are connectedthe conducting-wires 36 of an electrical supply system, preferably anincandescentlight circuit, to pass a current through the heating-coiland heat the sleeve 33 and a branding-tool 37, whose stem is adjustablyslidable within said sleeve. Thestem of the branding-tool is held in itsadjustments by means of one or more set-screws 38 passing through theshells 30 and 31 and the head or flange of the sleeve and engaging saidstem. The projecting end of the branding-tool 37 is enlarged to form adisk-shaped head, which is slotted to receive with a dovetail fit abranding-die 39, containing the raised figures or other charactersdesired to be branded upon the crowns, the headed end of the brandingtool being capable of traveling through an opening in the wall of thechute 24 to accomplish this purpose. The other end of the inner shell'31 is packed with a filling 40, of fibrous heat-insulating material.

A pin 41 passes entirely through the plunger member of the brandingmechanism and projects on either side of the outer shell 32 to connectwith the ends of a U-shaped projection 42, which embraces the chute 24and is guided therefrom by passing between pairs of lugs 43 on oppositesides of the chute. The rounded end of the projection 42 stands in thepath of movement of the sealing-heads 12, so as to be moved rearwardlythereby when the sealing-heads are brought into register with the lowerend of the chute to receive a crown therefrom, and a coil-spring 44bears upon the chute and surrounds a short stem 45 of the projection 42to force said projection forwardly again as soon as the sealing-head haspassed out ofengagement with it. As the plunger portion of the brandingdevice carrying the heated branding-tool is connected with saidprojection by means of the pin 41 it is moved therewith, sliding in thecylindrical bearing of the bracket 29 to move the branding-tool out ofen agement with the crown and out of the pat thereof when thesealing-head has forced the projection rearwardly and returning into thenext crown and engaging it with the pressure of sprin 35 when thesealing-head has passed out o engagement with the projection.

From the foregoing it will be understood that the intermittent turninmovement of the sealing-heads to receive t e crowns from the chuteautomatically causes the checking of the movement of the column ofcrowns during said movements, so that the branding device, which iscaused to be moved forwardly at this time by the movement of thesealinghead away from the projection, may properly enter one of thecrowns thus held in check, the location of the branding device on thechute being such that the branding-tool is directly in line with one ofthe crowns in the chute when the column of crowns is held in check bymeans of the throat-ring.

Preferably the die-strip 39 of the brandingtool is provided with thefigures representing the date of the bottling operation, and this partis therefore made removable, so that it may be replaced by others fromtime to time. As the branding-tool is brought to a great heat by meansof the electric heatingcoil it will sear or burn the surface of the corklining of the crown or closure with the figures of the diestrip, asshown in Fig. 7. i

The construction of the plunger member of the branding device is suchthat the heat is conserved and concentrated in the brandingtool, whilesaid plunger is freely slidable in its bearing to move into and out ofits operative position at the proper time.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is 1. In a bottle-sealing machine, a chutefor conducting crowns or closures, a movable sealing device fed with thecrowns or closures by the chute at intervals, and a branding device inconnection with the chute and moved by the movements of the sealingdevice for branding the crowns or closures between the intervals oftheir feed.

2. In a bottle-sealing machine, a chute for conducting crowns orclosures, a movable sealing device receiving the crowns or closures fromthe chute at intervals, and an electrical branding device in connectionwith the chute and moved by the movements of the sealing device forbranding the crowns or closures between the said intervals.

3. In a bottle-sealing machine, a chute for conducting crowns orclosures, a movable sealing device for receiving the crowns or closuresfrom the chute at intervals, a suitably-mounted plunger comprising anelectrical heating-coil and branding-tool heated thereby adapted toenter the chute and engage the crowns or closures therein, a projectioncarried by the plunger and standing in the path of movement of thesealing device to be moved thereby for moving the plunger in onedirection, and means for moving the plunger in the other direction, saidmovements of the plunger serving to bring the branding-tool into and outof contact with the crowns or closures in the chute.

In a bottle-sealing machine, a chute for conducting crowns or closures,a movable sealing device for receiving the crowns or closures from thechute at intervals, a suitablymounted plunger comprising an electricalheatingcoil and a brandingtool heated thereby adapted to enter the chuteand engage the crowns or closures therein, a projection carried by theplunger and standing in the path of movement of the sealing device to bemoved thereby for forcing the plunger to move and withdraw thebranding-tool, and means for returning the plunger when the sealingdevice has passed out of engagement with the projection.

In a bottle-sealing machine, a chute for feeding crowns or closures, amovable scaling device for receiving the crowns or closures from thechute at intervals, a suitablymounted plunger comprising an electricalheating-coil and a branding-tool heated thereby adapted to enter thechute and engage the crowns or closures, a projection carried by theplunger and standing in the path of movement of the sealing device to bemoved thereby for forcing the plunger to move and withdraw thel'n'anding-tool, and a spring between the chute and the projection forreturning the plunger when the sealing device has passed out ofengagement with the projection.

6. In a bottle-sealing machine, a chute for feeding crowns or closures,a movable sealing device for receiving the crowns or closures from thechute at intervals, a suitablyniountcd plunger comprising an electricalheatingcoil and a branding-tool heated thereby adapted to enter thechute and engage the crowns or closures, a U-shaped projection on theplunger embracing the chute and standing in the path of the sealingdevice to be engaged thereby for moving the plunger to withdraw thebranding-tool, a stem on the projection, and a coil-spring sur roundingthe stem and bearing on the chute for returning the plunger when thesealing device has passed out of engagement with the projection.

7. In a bottle-sealing machine, a hopper for feeding crowns or closures,a chute for conveying the crowns or closures therefrom, a movablescaling device to which the crowns or closures are intermittently fed bythe chute, a bracket secured to the hopper and having a cylindricalbearing, a shell slidably mounted in the bearing, an inner shellsurrounded by heat-insulating material located within the first-namedshell, a sleeve within the inner shell and surrounded by an electricalheating-coil, a branding-tool adjust ably slidable within the sleeve andadapted to enter the chute and engage the caps or closures, a pinpassing through the plunger, a U-shaped projection on the pin andembracing the chute, said projection standing in the path of the sealingdevice to be engaged thereby for moving the plunger rcarwardly, and acoil-spring bearing on the chute and on the projection for returningsaid plunger when the sealing device has moved out of engagement withthe projection.

S. In a bottle-sealing machine, a chute for feeding crowns or closures,a movable sealing device for receiving the crowns or closures from thechute at intervals, a suitablymounted cylindrical bearing, a plungeroperating therein and comprising an electrical heating-coil and abranding-tool heated thereby and adapted to pass through an opening inthe chute to engage the crowns or & 818,893

closures, apin passing through the plunger, a moved out of engagementwith the projec- U-shaped projection on the pin and embractlon. [0 ingthe chute, guide-lugs on the chute be- In testimony whereof I affix mysignature tween which the projection passes, said proin presence of twowitnesses.

5 jection standing in the path of movement of OSCAR H. JUNG.

the sealing device to be engaged thereby for Witnesses: moving theplunger, and a spring for return- R. S. C. CALDWELL,

ing the plunger when the sealing device has ANNA F. SOHMIDTBAUER.

